St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

To the Editor:

The City of New York is turning its back on the poor, the hungry and the homeless. Your Oct. 30 issue gives clear evidence of the fact. Bob Herbert’s column exposed the flawed and often cruel new policies and procedures of the Department of Homeless Services. Mothers and children are being put out on the streets with no housing resources.

There is an article about how landlords are turning down Section 8 housing vouchers, the most effective resource to combat homelessness. As the article points out, unlike other cities, New York does not have a law to protect potential tenants with Section 8 vouchers.

Finally, the number of people in soup kitchens is growing at an alarming rate. At the same time, the city and other financing sources are cutting back on this vital service. Surely the City of New York, with all its resources and wealth, could create a comprehensive, effective, compassionate system for providing real help for our poorest brothers and sisters. We can and we must do better.

(Rev.) Michael S. Kendall
New York, Oct. 30, 2007
The writer is archdeacon for mission, the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and chairman, Public Policy Committee for the Council of Churches of New York City.